Animal trap



May 1, 1923. 1,453,795

T. M. HOVELL ANIMAL TRAP Filed Aug. 31 1921 Jam #MM Patented May l, 1923.

UNITED r ANIMAL TRAP.

Application filed August 31, 1921.. Serial No. 497,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MARK Hov- ELL, Elstree, Herts, England, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in and Relating to Animal Traps, for which I have filed a plication in England 18th March, 1919, atent No. 131247, and of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to animal traps such as those for the capture of rats or other animals and more particularly to traps which although they may be kept constantly set are only sprung by the hand when it is wished to catch the rats which are in the trap. The object of the present invention is to provide a trap of large capacity capable of receiving a large number of rats,

but also such that the rats can be readily driven therefrom intoa smaller cage when it is desired to clear the trap.

A trap forming a suitable embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in perspective view. The trap consists of a trough-like box having an opening at each end and covered with wire netting, its length being preferably not less than six feet and its width and height sufiicient to allow of a large number .of rats assembling therein.

It comprises a floor board a, two side boards I) b and twoupriglht end frames 0 0 within which are slide doors dd respectively. The floor board and side boards are fastened together and carried on a suitable number of cross bearers e e 6 6 The end frames comprise two side members f f of suitable width, slats g g are attached to the inner faces of said side members at their outer edges and a frame it or h at the inner edge leaving a groove between the slats and frame in which the door 03 or (Z slides, The side members f f are connected above by a transverse member 71 or 6 Towards the middle of the trap two cross bars j y' are fastened upon the upper edges of the side boards I) b and to one of these cross bars is hinged a door K as by hinges Z Z The door may be held closed by hooks m m and studs 11 n Wire nettingo 0 closes in the upper part of the trap between the side boards 6 b the cross-bars j 1' and other cross bars 39 at the end frames 0 c .side boards; slide doors vertically slidable res ectively. I

n the under side of each transverse member 11 i of the end frames is fastened an eyelet g 9 An eyelet r r is also secured to the top of each door 03 d Cords s 8 secured to the eyelets r r are led through the eyelets Q Q1 respectively and end in loops t 25 On the cross bar j are secured eyelets a 14 A pin o having at one end a loop '0 is passed through the eyelets u a and loops t 25 when the trap is set. A cord w is attached to the loop o and is led to .some distant place for hand operation when it is desired to springthe trap, so that the cord may be pulled and the pin detached without the operator coming sufficiently near the trap to disturb any rats or other ani mals which may be in it.

This trap is specially designed to be subsequently used with an ordinary cage rattrap or any box as a cage, fitted with a door and placed at one end opposite the exit door of the trap.

As rats and other animals when frightened, congregate in the corners of a trap, if a cage with a door, narrower than the door of the trap were placed against one end of the trough and the door of the trough at that end lifted so that they might pass from the full width of the trough into the cage,

only the rats which run down the side of the trough, which is against the narrow door of the cage, would probably escape into the cage, most of those remaining crowding into the Corner opposite to the one which they had previously occupied at-the further end of the trap.

In order to ensure all the rats in the trough passing at once through the narrow door of the cage and thus save the time which would otherwise be wasted in driving them backwards and forwards until they found the narrow entry into the adjacent cage-trap, a partition X is placed obliquely across part of the end of the trough to reduce the width of the outlet inside the door d of the trough trap, thus leaving no corner at the cage end in which rats or other animals can congregate.

The door K is for convenience in placing bait in the trough and for cleaning it.

What I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters atent of the United States is A trap comprising aframe including two at each end of said frame and having cords secured thereon; cross bars secured at the center of said frame intermediate the slide In Witness whereof I have signed this doors; a door hinged on one of said cross speclficatlon, in the presence of two w1tbars and adapted to latch on sand other cross nesses.

bar; eyelets secured to the last named cross T. MARK HOVELL. 5 bar; and a pin adapted to slide in said eye- WVitnesses: lets and be associated with said cords in R. HADDAN,

order to control said doors. A. MORRELL. 

